When and where did your career in theatre start? My first job was as an actress at the Royal Exchange Theatre, Manchester in Love's Labour's Lost ten years ago.

What are you currently working on, and what plans do you have for the rest of the year? I am working on a new play called The Principle of Eve for the Royal Court. I'm having my first baby in July, so I'm planning on maternity leave and lots of sleepless nights for the rest of the year.

What do you consider your greatest achievement in theatre so far? Humble Boy at the National and now in its seventh month in the West End, I suppose.

What job/project/production have you most enjoyed working on, and why? In Flame at the Bush was great because of all the people involved- it was my first collaboration with the producer Matthew Byam Shaw, it was directed by my great friend Anna Mackmin, with whom I've always had a very symbiotic relationship and the ensemble cast was excellent. We weren't on the scene at all and we had no idea how it would be received-so it was surprising and delightful when it was a great success.

Is this an exciting time for British theatre? What difference, if any, will The wave of changes at theatres across the country (the RSC, the National, West Yorks, the Donmar etc) make? I'm pleased that Ian Brown will be running West Yorkshire as I worked with him when I was an actress and I think he's a great director and very good at running a building and also a lovely man so his appointment can only be a good thing. Tony Clarke at Hampstead also looks like a very good appointment based on his skill as a director and his saneness as a person. For me it always depends on the people involved and I don't know any of the other new people so I can't really comment. But change, especially at the big establishments, can only be a good thing.

Is there anything we're particularly good at/bad at in this country? What do you think are the industry's real strengths and weaknesses, compared with theatre elsewhere? I think we're particularly good at slagging off each other's work in this country. The reviewers are a pretty erratic bunch too. But this may be the nature of theatre everywhere.

How could British theatre be stronger? What would make your work easier/more rewarding? Not reading reviews already makes my work and my appreciation of other people's work more rewarding. It's the depth of talent that makes British theatre strong and I see no signs that it is drying up- so hopefully continuing to work with talented directors and actors and enlightened producers and buildings will make my work easier.

·Coming up: New play, The Principle of Eve, for the Royal Court.

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